[JaneYoung]

We have addressed food and hydration for several years as a team. One reason we formed a Parents Association was to help with this. The past 3 years we had a mom and 2 aunts who donated their vacation time to travel with the team to our different competitions taking care of our food needs and making sure we had tons of bottled water. In Atlanta, they were there at the eating/meeting area for the team. That was their focus, their 'job' during travel.

We discuss and plan the logistics of food/water at the competitions at parent meetings before travel and we notify the parents and the students that the team will need extra money, that it can get expensive. The Association sends extra money with our teacher in case anyone needs it. The Association is only 4 years old and has only been able to help with expenses for the past 2 years but it is one reason the Association formed. To help the team with travel. We have team meetings every night during competition and 'health, food, hydration' is on that check list. 'How's everyone doing, how's it going?' We know from those mtgs. how the team is doing. At competition, the safety captain lets us know if they need anything in the pit area by way of cell phone. Also, adults traveling with the team go check on the drive team/pit crew periodically to see if they have any needs. We know that they have a 'window' of time to eat and we make sure we have the food/water available and ready for them. The rest of the team helps get them fed and watered during that window. A lot of thought goes into this. We know travel is expensive and we work with that.

There are opportunities provided to all of us after competition season to makes suggestions for how to improve FIRST for next year, we take advantage of those opportunities.
Jane